The fourth Sunday in Lent is designated as Mothering Sunday or Refreshment Sunday. A bit of light relief in our journey towards Holy Week and Easter.

Traditionally it was the day when the young boys and girls who worked in service at the large manor houses were given the day off to visit their families and home church. They would bake a special cake to take with them using the finest flour (Simnel) and gather flowers as they walked home for their mothers.

Mothering Sunday is not so much about mothers… but visiting one’s home church or mother church, the place where you were nurtured and brought up in the faith. However, as times have changed it has become Americanised and is now more commonly known as Mothers Day. As a consequence of this change, Father’s Day was also introduced to acknowledge the importance of both parents.

As the ten commandments remind…. we should honour our father and mother.